I stumbled across this 30,000 days figure the other day. Apparently its about how many days there are in an average life. Well, I thought, never being one to take what I read completely on trust, is this right? So I popped over to the General Register Office for Scotland website where they’ve just published the latest life expectancy figures for Scotland and it turns out that for Scottish males its currently 74.6 years. My Dad was 80 at the end of last year and is alive and well so I’m hoping that, like him, I won’t be average! (Don’t we all?!). Let me err on the side of cautious optimism though and assume the average. I then went to timeanddate.com which has all kinds of date calculators for you to use. I fed in the figures.
For the average Scottish male you can expect 27,035 days of life (quite a lot short of the 30,000!)
For me, today, 8th September 2007, I’ve lived 19,391 days! Wooosh!!!! Where did THEY go??!!
If I can reckon on the average, I’ve 7,644 days left to enjoy.
This is where I turn to Seneca who wrote The Shortness of Life
You are living as if destined to live for ever, your own frailty never occurs to you; you don’t notice how much time has already passed, but squander it as though you had a full overflowing supply – though all the while that very day which you are devoting to somebody or something may be your last.
People often ask me how I manage to do so much, but I don’t think I do so much. What I do is to live life passionately, living as the hero of my own personal story, trying as little as possible to fall into zombie mode.
And, you know what? The numbers aren’t that important, they’re only an estimate after all, but the quality certainly is. I can’t control the numbers but I can choose to live a passionate life. Today.
Heroes Not Zombies 
You know, I hear a similar refrain, “How do you manage to fit so much into your day?”, and I, like you, am left thinking that I don’t do so much. On looking back over the days, the months, the years, I realise, however, that I have packed a lot in! For some reason, though, your numbers send me into a bit of a panic. So much to achieve in so little time!
I’d guess your pace is just fine, Amy……no need for panic!
thanks again Bob for a yet another interesting little post! Inspiring as always, hero of your own story, and helping me daily to be the hero of mine(well, some days!still have that hero/zombie split thing going on from time to time!!)You are an inspiration for sure.
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